IT:AD:NPM:HowTo:Create a package.json File [Notes]

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# IT:AD:NPM:HowTo:Create a package.json File #



* [[./|(UP)]]
* See also:
    * [[IT:AD:npm:HowTo:Define Needed Global Packages In Package.json File]]
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* [[IT/AD/Grunt/HowTo/Setup]]


</callout>


<panel title="Summary">

NPM manages the packages needed in your project using a `package.json` file.


</panel>


## Process ##

After using a [[IT/AD/CLI/]] to navigate to your project's directory, you can create one by hand:

<sxh json>
{
  "name": "Foo",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "devDependencies": {
    "grunt": "~0.4.1"
  }
}
</sxh>

Basic concepts:
* `name` and `version` are required, and form the identity of the package.
* `name`: an url safe string. Should not include '.js' (js is implied as you are using npm).
* `version`: a string. Should be updated for each package release.
* `description`: a string description
* `keywords`: an array of string keywords of your choosing 
* `homepage`: an string url the project homepage
* `license`: a string of the license [spdx](https://spdx.org/licenses/) ("MIT", etc.)
* `author`:
    * An object:  `{"name":"foo", "email":"foo@foo.com", "url":"//foo.com"}`
* `contributors`: an array of objects. `[{"name":"foo", "email":"foo@foo.com", "url":"//foo.com"}...]` 
* `files`: name of file, or folder containing files.
* `main`: the primary file.
* `bin`: files to register in the PATH.
* `dependencies`: https://www.npmjs.org/doc/files/package.json.html#dependencies



### Using Grunt Init
Or you can use `grunt init` to create the file -- but it's more verbose:
<sxh json>
{
  "name": "Foo",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "description": "A footuristic solution",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "author": "Sky",
  "license": "ISC"
}
</sxh>



### Going Further

The specs for a package.json file can be found at the NPM site:
* https://www.npmjs.org/doc/files/package.json.html


## Resources ##
* https://www.npmjs.org/doc/files/package.json.html